Victories

OCEANS ON THE BRINK

The oceans are vast, but they are not immune to human influence. We have already altered or destroyed many marine ecosystems and driven many species to the edge of extinction. According to a study published in Science, less than four percent of the oceans remain unaffected by human activity.

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WE ARE TAKING TOO MANY FISH OUT OF THE WATER

In the last few decades, commercial fishing has evolved into a high-tech, heavily subsidized industry that uses cutting-edge electronics, computer systems, large numbers of boats, huge amounts of fuel and miles of gear to find and catch fish. The data is clear – if the global fleet is unfettered, the fish do not stand a chance. We can and will catch them all.

According to research by Dr. Daniel Pauly, leading fisheries scientist and Oceana board member, global seafood catch peaked in the late 1980s and has been declining ever since despite more and more boats on the water. The U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization reports that 80 percent of seafood species are overexploited, fully exploited or recovering from depletion. This has consequences not just for the billion people – many of them hungry – who rely on the ocean for animal protein. Marine predators like dolphins are also at risk when they can’t find enough food to eat.

The impact of overfishing is compounded by destructive fishing practices such as bottom trawling and bycatch. Bottom trawls drag heavily weighted nets along the ocean floor in search of fish or crustaceans in a practice akin to clear-cutting a forest in order to catch rabbits. They flatten nursery habitat. Bycatch results from unselective nets and longlines that kill enormous amounts of ocean creatures along with target species. Each year, more than 16 billion pounds of unwanted fish and other wildlife are thrown overboard.

Meanwhile, the increasing demand and size of ocean aquaculture further depletes wild fish stocks, rather than taking the pressure off wild seafood species. For example, up to five pounds of wild fish are required to produce just one pound of farmed salmon.

WE ARE POISONING THE OCEANS WITH FOSSIL FUELS

The oceans are also being poisoned by fossil fuels. Despite the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010 and reports of sea turtles, dolphins and other animals perishing in the wake of the spill, governments and industry continue to push for more oil drilling in the oceans, even in remote or pristine places, such as Belize and the U.S. Arctic.

Belize is home to the Mesoamerican reef, the world’s second largest barrier reef system, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a major tourist destination. Offshore drilling would devastate the reef and Belize’s tourism and fishing industry. Meanwhile, proposed offshore drilling in the U.S. Arctic is undeniably risky. There is no proven way to clean up oil in the Arctic’s harsh environment, and little infrastructure to deal with a spill.

This drilling is being justified by a myth – that increased ocean oil drilling will substantially lower gas prices. As a global commodity, oil is priced on an international basis — according to global supply and demand. The data shows that these types of new oil discoveries have little impact on the prices of gas. Oil found in the United States, for example, is not sold to Americans at a discount off the world price.

Expanded offshore drilling is simply too risky for our oceans.

WE ARE RISKING A CRITICAL SOURCE OF FOOD JUST WHEN WE NEED IT THE MOST

The Earth will be home to 9 billion people by 2050, and we are risking the healthiest, cheapest and most potentially sustainable source of protein by mismanaging our wild seafood. A billion people already depend upon fish as their primary source of animal protein, many of them in the world’s poorest countries. There are 400 million hungry people who live in major fishing countries.

The U.N. estimates that we will need to produce 70 percent more food by mid-century to meet growing demand for food by an increasingly wealthy and densely populated planet. The demand for animal protein is expected to almost double. But the arable land and fresh water needed for land-based agriculture and livestock are already in short supply – in many cases the “available” lands are forests that we need for other reasons (like absorbing CO2). Plus, terrestrial animal protein production creates huge amounts of greenhouse gases.

Wild seafood can contribute a major portion of the food needed in the coming decades, but wild fish stocks around the world continue to disappear. This is troubling because seafood is in many ways the perfect protein. Wild fish don’t require arable land or fresh water, and only generate small amounts of greenhouse gases. Plus, we know that with a relatively small investment, we can save wild fish stocks. We can put the right policy measures in place, turn around depleted fisheries and provide needed food for a hungry world while also preserving the biodiversity of ocean ecosystems. It is possible to feed nearly 700 million people a daily seafood meal in 2050 if we take the necessary actions to save our wild fish stocks.

The oceans are an invaluable resource for humankind – one that we can’t afford to squander, especially as our planet becomes increasingly crowded and hungry.

© OCEANA | Eduardo Sorensen

THE GOOD NEWS

SAVING THE OCEANS IS POSSIBLE IN OUR LIFETIMES.

© OCEANA | Eduardo Sorensen © OCEANA | Eduardo Sorensen © OCEANA | Eduardo Sorensen

WE HAVE SOLUTIONS

Many of the most serious threats to the oceans can be addressed with solutions that already exist. Sustainable fishing follows a clear policy pattern: establish science-based quotas, protect habitat and reduce bycatch. We know this method works. It has already seen success in replenishing numerous seafood species, from rockfish on the U.S. East Coast to jack mackerel in Chile to cod in Norway’s North Sea. Success stories can be found all over the world, including in developing countries. In addition, new technology has made many kinds of pollution preventable, and offshore wind can help relieve our dependence on dirty fossil fuels.

WE HAVE SUPPORTERS AND ALLIES

Oceana is not alone in this fight. We have more than 500,000 e-activists and supporters in over 150 countries. We are allied with conservation organizations and foundations, far-sighted commercial and recreational fishermen, indigenous peoples, seafood consumers, scuba divers, sailors and ocean enthusiasts of all stripes. There is potential to build even more broad support for initiatives to protect and restore ocean ecosystems.

Oceana works on a limited number of campaigns with clear short-term objectives designed to bring our oceans back to abundance and vitality. In 2011, we won many important victories for the ocean.

SHARKS

VICTORY: Full West Coast Ban on Shark Fin Trade

After months of work by Oceana along with WildAid, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Humane Society, California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation banning the sale, possession and trade of shark fins. California joined Washington, Oregon and Hawaii in protecting sharks, all of which passed similar laws. Oceana provided strong science and policy advocacy to ensure the legislation had strong bipartisan support.

The laws mean that shark fin soup will no longer be sold on the U.S. West Coast, and they complement legislation passed in 2010 that ended shark finning in U.S. national waters. According to government data, approximately 85 percent of dried shark fin imports to the United States came through California last year, making the state the hub of the U.S. shark fin market.

Sharks have been on the planet for more than 400 million years, but populations around the world are crashing. As apex predators, they play a vital role in maintaining the health of ocean ecosystems, but due to their slow growth rate and low level of reproduction, sharks are especially vulnerable to fishing pressure.

VICTORY: Chile Ends Shark Finning

In July, the Chilean National Congress passed legislation drafted by Oceana that ends shark finning. Sharks must now be landed with all fins attached. Finning is the practice of removing a

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shark’s fins at sea and throwing the bleeding torso overboard to die. Most of the fins go to China where they are used in shark fin soup. An investigation by Oceana revealed that Chile exported 71 tons of dried shark fins from eight different species between 2006 and 2009.

Chile’s more than 2,500 miles of coastline are home to many shark species, including the whale shark, basking shark, porbeagle and shortfin mako.

VICTORY: Europe Protects Porbeagle Sharks

The European Union banned all fishing for porbeagle sharks in November. Porbeagles, also known as mackerel sharks and “bluedogs,” can be over nine feet long and weigh several hundred pounds. Most importantly, they are top predators and play an important role in ocean ecosystems. Long coveted for their large fins and meat, porbeagle sharks are vulnerable to overfishing because they are slow-growing, late-maturing and give birth to few young. The porbeagle shark population in the Mediterranean Sea has declined by 99 percent.

Under the new rules, no porbeagle sharks may be caught in E.U. waters, and no E.U. ship in international waters is permitted to catch porbeagles. The sharks are a highly migratory species that live in the North Atlantic and in the Southern Ocean.

VICTORY: Florida Protects Hammerhead and Tiger Sharks

In November, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted to fully protect tiger sharks and three species of hammerhead sharks from commercial fishing in all state waters.

The scalloped hammerhead and tiger sharks are not only icons of the ocean, but are at the top of the ocean food chain. Hammerheads, with their distinctive “T” shaped heads can reach over 14 feet in length and weigh several hundred pounds. Tiger sharks can be up to 24 feet long and weigh well over 1,000 pounds. These new protections are critical to saving these sharks. Tiger sharks numbers have dropped by 97 percent in U.S. Atlantic waters, and scalloped, smooth and great hammerheads have declined by about 70 percent in the northwest Atlantic.

VICTORY: Saving Silky Sharks and Swordfish through ICCAT

In November, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), which also oversees sharks, put in place a new rule, following campaigning by Oceana, to fully protect the silky shark. Silky sharks are large, slender pelagic sharks with long, flat snouts, large eyes, and small serrated teeth. Silky sharks are overfished by the Atlantic longline industry. The new rule requires that all silky sharks caught in ICCAT fisheries, except for those caught by developing coastal countries for local consumption, must be released.

VICTORY: Spain Increases Protection for Shark Species

After lobbying by Oceana, the Spanish Ministry of the Environment doubled the number of marine species officially protected in Spain. New protected species include 11 sharks, such as angel sharks, sawfishes and angular roughsharks, all considered threatened or endangered under the Barcelona Convention. Their protection by Spain, Europe’s top shark fishing nation, sends a strong message to Europe and the world.

PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FISHING

The industrial fishing industry continues to push wild seafood populations toward collapse, threatening ocean wildlife and one of the world’s essential sources of protein for humankind. Ninety percent of the big fish – sharks, tuna, swordfish – are already gone, compared to their numbers in 1950. Destructive fishing practices waste an estimated 16 billion pounds of fish and kill countless marine mammals every year, while obliterating ocean nurseries and habitat like coral reefs and seamounts that can take decades or centuries to recover.

Oceana campaigns to enact and enforce responsible fishing practices that protect wild fish stocks and ocean ecosystems.

VICTORY: Illegal Driftnets Curtailed in the Mediterranean Sea

In 2011, Morocco enacted a ban on the use, possession, manufacture or sale of driftnets. With 300 vessels using driftnets, Morocco had been one of the most notorious users of the wasteful gear in the Mediterranean.

These floating nets can be several miles long and indiscriminately catch and kill everything in their path, generating huge amounts of bycatch. Thousands of marine creatures, including whales, dolphins, sharks, sea turtles and fish are trapped and killed by this indiscriminate fishing gear each year.

After campaigning by Oceana, Turkey followed suit and announced it would stop using the destructive fishing gear. In 2009, Oceana identified Turkish vessels using driftnets in the Aegean and Mediterranean to target swordfish and albacore, and we estimate there were 70 to 150 vessels operating in the country before the ban.

VICTORY: Limiting King Salmon Bycatch in the Largest U.S. Fishery

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council approved new limits on the number of Chinook salmon that Gulf of Alaska pollock fishermen can accidentally net and kill. The Council voted to cap bycatch at 25,000 Chinook salmon. Last year, more than 54,000 Chinook salmon were caught by the Gulf of Alaska trawl fleet.

Chinook or “King” salmon is the largest species of Pacific salmon and is highly sought after by both fishermen and diners. Alaskan pollock, related to Atlantic cod, is the largest fishery in the United States by weight. As an additional benefit of this ruling, observer coverage will be increased on a large section of the enormous Alaskan pollock fleet to ensure compliance with the new cap. Oceana provided strong science and policy advocacy in favor of this new ruling.

VICTORY: Belize Ends Trawling in National Waters

Belize finalized a ban on all forms of trawling, one of the most destructive fishing methods in the world. Bottom trawls wreak havoc on ocean nurseries and bottom habitat. Trawlers are also notorious for indiscriminately killing marine life, including sea turtles, marine mammals and untargeted fish species. With the decision, Belize joined just a few countries in the world that have completely protected their waters from bottom trawling.

The historic decision protects Belize’s section of the Mesoamerican Reef, the largest coral reef system in the western hemisphere and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition to its ecological importance, the Mesoamerican Reef has incalculable value to Belize’s tourism industry and culture. Home to some of the Atlantic Ocean’s only atolls, it is one of the most popular diving sites in the world.

Oceana has now helped protect 1.4 million square miles of the oceans from trawling in the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic as part of our global campaign against destructive fishing.

© OCEANA Left: © Oceana/Xavier Pastor. Trawlers that will no longer operate in Belize.

VICTORY: Belize Fisheries Protected from Excessive Gillnet Bycatch

Following campaigning by Oceana, the Belizean fisheries ministry established bans on gillnets, as well as a partial ban and new regulations on the use and size of gillnets in Belize’s ocean. Gillnet is the general term used for nets that catch fish by catching their gills in small openings. Gillnets in Belize are often set at the head of rivers and catch almost everything in its path, generating large amounts of bycatch.

VICTORY: U.S. Court Rules Government Must Count Bycatch

After a long battle, Oceana won a court order compelling the U.S. government to develop a binding system to reliably measure bycatch in East Coast fisheries. Bycatch refers to the fish and wildlife that fishing vessels throw overboard, often dead or dying, because they are not economically valuable or because regulations prohibit them from being caught.

The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service is required by law to establish a system to accurately and precisely count and report bycatch, but until Oceana’s legal victory, it found excuses not to do so. After the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the federal government must establish a system for reporting bycatch that it will actually follow and comply with, including determining how many observers are needed on board commercial fishing vessels in New England and the Mid-Atlantic.

Bycatch is one of the greatest problems facing the oceans today. It damages marine ecosystems by needlessly killing fish and wildlife, contributing to overfishing and further threatening our wild seafood supply.

© NOAA

VICTORY: Fishing Gear Modifications to Save Sea Turtles

After campaigning by Oceana, the New England Fishery Management Council approved a new rule to require modified fishing gear to reduce the capture of sea turtles in the Atlantic scallop fishery in specified areas and during times when sea turtles are known to be present.

All six species of sea turtles found in U.S. waters are threatened or endangered. Loggerheads are often injured or killed by scallop dredges, often made of steel with a chain bag, that drag the sea floor and can drown or crush the turtles. Kemp’s ridleys, the rarest species of sea turtle, as well as green and leatherback sea turtles, are caught and sometimes killed by the scallop dredges.

The new gear, called a turtle deflector dredge, pushes sea turtles out of harm’s way. The government estimates that the devices will reduce the number of sea turtles killed by dredges by more than half.

VICTORY: Chile Establishes Fishing Quotas Based on Science

The Chilean Minister of Economy announced a comprehensive change for all of Chile’s fishing quotas. The ministry introduced a new fisheries bill, entirely based on a proposal developed by Oceana, requiring that annual fishing quotas for all commercial fisheries be based on scientific recommendations.

In addition, this revised law will include new regulations increasing the transparency of the process, such as requiring that the scientific reports be made available online. The law will also prohibit the undue influence of any fishery stakeholders from this decision-making process, leaving it up to a panel of scientific experts.

© OCEANA | Eduardo Sorensen